Issue Brief No. 58
February 2013
Digital Media & Learning in Afterschool
The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation, is proud to present the final
issue brief in our latest series of four issue briefs examining critical issues facing middle school
youth and the vital role afterschool programs play in addressing these issues. This series
explores afterschool and: digital learning, arts enrichment, school improvement and parent
engagement. The briefs examine just a few of the ways afterschool programs support middle
school youth, families and communities.
Undoubtedly, digital media and technology are revolutionizing how, where and when children
learn. As one might expect with any type of transformative innovation, digital media has
compelled many educators to completely reimagine the learning experience. There is broad
agreement that digital media and technology should be viewed as tools that can: facilitate equally
valuable learning opportunities beyond the school day and outside the school walls, permit
students to learn at their own pace, and provide interactive experiences that allow them to learn
in their own style and in ways that are personal and engaging. i These digital tools are viewed as
most effective when grounded in strong, learner-centered environments that are collaborative,
relevant and often involve the application of knowledge through project-based opportunities. ii
As school districts around the country race to build technological infrastructure that permits
increased access to digital devices in the classroom, the resulting fundamental shifts in
instructional practices are blurring the lines that once existed between formal and informal
learning environments. Increasingly, teachers are adopting pedagogical strategies that have long
underpinned the youth development framework that is at the core of quality before-school,
afterschool and summer programs. These strategies include the use of a flexible and interestdriven curriculum, the view of educators as mentors and facilitators within an environment that
encourages youth to take ownership of their learning, and a focus on situating the goals of
schooling within the broader context of a child’s life. iii
Now that these strategies are also being recognized as instructional practices that facilitate more
effective digital learning within schools, it raises the question of how digital media and
technology are affecting the afterschool field in ways that complement the changes occurring
during the school day. This issue brief draws on a review of existing research on digital learning
and a sampling of afterschool program models from around the country that have integrated
digital media and technology in varying ways.
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Challenges and Opportunities for the Afterschool
Field
“The president and I are
convinced that with technology,
we have an extraordinary
opportunity to expand educational
excellence and equity, and
personalize the experience for
students… Technology can enable
the high-quality teaching and
learning that today's students need
to thrive as citizens, workers, and
leaders in the digital age and the
globally competitive knowledge
economy.”
Although many afterschool programs find ways to
successfully integrate digital learning practices—or
develop entirely new offerings built around digital
media and learning—there are a number of
challenges that inhibit the widespread adoption of
these practices. Chief among them is the difficulty
of securing the necessary funding to acquire and
maintain a technological infrastructure. In today’s
uncertain economic climate, many programs are
struggling just to meet the basic needs of the
children and families in their communities. With
more than 3 in 5 programs (62 percent) reporting a
—Arne Duncan
loss of funding over the last three years, many are
iv
Secretary of Education
cutting services in order to keep the doors open.
These funding concerns, which are not unique to
afterschool, strongly reinforce the need for schools
and afterschool programs to work closely together as they seek to integrate digital media in
teaching and learning.
Afterschool providers may also have difficulty identifying the best ways to use digital tools to
support their program objectives. The diverse nature of the afterschool field often limits
opportunities for professional development and the sharing of promising practices across
afterschool providers. Intermediaries can play a key role in supporting the sharing of
instructional practices, and joint professional development organizations—like The After-School
Corporation, the National AfterSchool Association, the National Network of Statewide
Afterschool Networks and the National Institute on Out-of-School Time—have been offering
trainings and related resources to help programs. Furthermore, in cities like Chicago and New
York, groups of youth-serving institutions—including libraries, museums, community-based
organizations, school- and afterschool programs, and media companies—have formed
professional learning communities to connect local programs. Formally known as the Hive
Learning Networks, these communities facilitate communication, knowledge-sharing and
coordination across organizations serving middle- and high-school students in the respective city.
The member organizations—also known as learning sites—extend learning beyond the
classroom through innovative uses of digital media and technology enhanced by strong
mentorship components. v Together, they are working to reinforce the notion of “anytime,
anywhere learning” by creating a system that recognizes and documents how these informal
learning environments use digital learning practices to support core academic standards.
2
For more information, visit afterschoolaliance.org
1616 H Street NW, Suite 820, Washington, D.C. 20006 • 1440 Broadway, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10018
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The New Digital Divide
Table 1. Percent of youth who have the following in their home:
White Youth
Black Youth
Latino Youth
Within disadvantaged
Ages 8-18
Ages 8-18
Ages 8-18
Computer
communities, afterschool
94%
89%
92%
Internet Access
programs have traditionally
88%
78%
74%
High-Speed/Wireless
been praised for helping to
61%
55%
52%
Access
alleviate the “digital
2
Data from: Kaiser Family Foundation. (2010). “Generation M : Media in the
divide.” vi When defined in
Lives of 8- to 18- Year-Olds”
terms of basic access to the
Internet and technology, informal learning environments certainly offer spaces where middle
school youth—who might not have broadband access at home—can develop digital literacy
outside of the school day. However, there is evidence to suggest that the nature of the digital
divide is changing. The student-to-computer ratio between low-income and more affluent
schools has closed considerably since the term was first popularized in the ‘90s. vii Additionally,
the gradual decrease in the price of computers and rise in popularity of tablets and Internetenabled mobile devices has meant that more disadvantaged youth are finding ways to get online.
According to a 2010 Kaiser Family Foundation Study, among youth ages 8 to 18 years of age,
African-Americans exceeded whites in their use of mobile devices. viii The survey also found that
a majority of all youth, regardless of race, have access to a computer and the Internet at home,
although the quality of Internet access does vary (see Table 1).
Today, a new digital divide is emerging—one defined in terms of interaction rather than access.
There is a growing awareness of the inequalities that exist in the way that youth are interacting
with digital media; whereas affluent youth are more likely to behave as “content producers,”
disadvantaged youth tend to be “content consumers.” ix Through the process of creating digital
content—such as blogs, zines, videos and digital art—youth who are content producers are
acquiring a number of key skills and competencies, including a more comprehensive
understanding of intellectual property, opportunities for cultural expression and the importance
of active citizenship. x
Youth who sit on the sidelines as content consumers—or, in other words, those who interact with
digital media only in the context of watching videos or using social media sites—will be left
behind as they enter institutions of higher education and, eventually, the workplace. The 21st
century skills perceived to be essential to the future success of youth are precisely the same skills
that are fostered through involvement in a participatory digital learning culture.
While a divide exists between higher- and lower-income youth, overall youth interaction with
digital media leans toward the content consumer side of the spectrum, with youth engaging in
basic digital media activities. A 2005 Pew Internet & American Life Project survey found that
half of youth ages 12 to 17 created content for the Internet. xi The Pew Internet & American Life
Project’s July 2011 survey found that although 95 percent of 12 to 17 year olds use the Internet,
just 27 percent record and upload videos to the Internet. xiixiii Their September 2009 survey found
that only 38 percent of youth said they shared something they created—such as artwork, photos
or stories—online and 21 percent said that they created their own work from pictures, songs or
text that they found online. xiv A recently released report by the Digital Media and Learning
Research Hub at the University of California, Irvine, further reinforces this data, stating that
3
For more information, visit afterschoolaliance.org
1616 H Street NW, Suite 820, Washington, D.C. 20006 • 1440 Broadway, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10018
TEL: 202.347.2030 FAX: 202.347.2092 • afterschoolalliance.org • CFC # 31020
“many young people take the fairly basic steps” when going online, “fewer undertake the more
complex, social, or creative activities that technooptimists have hoped for them.” xv
“Digital learning empowers
students with the ability to
customize their education to
master critical knowledge and
skills at the time and pace that
best fits their needs. State
leaders must harness the power
of technology and adopt policies
that will provide every student
with high-quality, rigorous
courses that prepare them for
success in college and their
careers.”
Promising Practices for Digital Learning
Effective digital learning practices in afterschool
depend on the recognition that the use and purpose of
technology in informal learning environments can vary
as widely as the curricular objectives that the
technology is intended to support. Across the
spectrum of programs that have implemented digital
learning strategies, technology is frequently used as a
tool to enhance and extend broader goals that often
revolve around a few key themes including creative
expression, youth empowerment and civic
engagement.
—Jeb Bush
Former Governor of Florida
When used appropriately, these tools naturally support
the core principles of youth development practiced by
quality afterschool programs. For middle school youth
in particular, these informal learning environments
offer an important opportunity for them to explore their own identities and engage with the world
around them in ways that are exciting, relevant and driven by their interests. A closer look at
effective digital learning strategies used by some of the more successful programs reveals a few
key promising practices for afterschool providers.
Highly effective programming can be built around readily accessible technology.
Wide Angle Youth Media in Baltimore, MD, partners with the Enoch Pratt Free Library and
local schools to engage 10-15 year-old youth in an innovative program that challenges them to
use digital tools as a means to explore issues impacting their communities. In the course of
creating media projects, students engage in critical discussions, conduct research, interview
community members and participate in reflective writing exercises. Past projects have included
topics such as school bullying, gang activity, pollution and police surveillance. The most recent
project involved the use of “photo walks” in the neighborhood where the program meets. The
students combined the photography with sound and narration to tell a compelling story about the
inequalities within a neighborhood undergoing gentrification. Digital media projects like the
photo walk are accomplished using the students’ own mobile devices and basic software,
illustrating that effective digital learning does not require investments in costly equipment. The
program’s success is measured through pre/post student and parent surveys and staff
observations of skill development using the Verified Resume tool, which is based on SCANS
skills for workforce development. Students in Wide Angle Youth Media made significant gains
in a number of skills, but the most notable improvements were made in technical media skills
(100 percent), teamwork (95 percent), listening (80 percent) and creativity (90 percent).
4
For more information, visit afterschoolaliance.org
1616 H Street NW, Suite 820, Washington, D.C. 20006 • 1440 Broadway, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10018
TEL: 202.347.2030 FAX: 202.347.2092 • afterschoolalliance.org • CFC # 31020
Digital media and technology should support
broader programmatic goals through researchbased instructional practices.
“The urgency of providing a
quality education means every
child has access to the engaging
experience that comes with
powerful teaching and rigorous
content available through digital
learning…The teachers are here,
the technology is everywhere, and
the students are ready and able.
Now it’s time to put it all
together.”
Computers4Kids (C4K) in Charlottesville, VA,
uses an innovative combination of long-term
mentoring, technology training, job readiness
skills, academic support and college-prep
guidance to target middle school students who are
at risk for decreased academic achievement,
lower self-esteem and increased risk-taking
behavior. The students are matched with
volunteer mentors who work with them to
complete two in-depth, personally meaningful
—Bob Wise
technology projects using professional-grade
President, Alliance for Excellent
software in the areas of graphics, audio, Web
Education
design, video, animation, print, presentation and
3-D modeling. Between 2:45 and 8:00 p.m.
Monday through Friday, the students are given year-round access to the program’s computers,
equipment and staff to help them acquire an impressive portfolio of technology skills and
projects. Graduates from the middle school program are then eligible to participate in Teen Tech
(T2), a program for high school students that offers advanced technology training, college prep
activities and connections to paid internships.
C4K uses digital media and technology as tools to support a mission grounded in a college and
career readiness framework. Students complete technology projects that meet “C4K Essentials”
or project guidelines developed by staff to ensure that the students:
•
Demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts;
•
Use digital media to communicate and work collaboratively;
•
Show creative thinking;
•
Demonstrate critical thinking skills for planning and managing projects; and
•
Make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.
Furthermore, C4K Essentials align with the International Society for Technology in Education’s
National Education Technology Standards and include evaluation tools that effectively measure
the achievements of students at different grade and ability levels. Students in C4K have
exhibited positive academic achievements: 95 percent of C4K’s mentored students have
graduated from high school, and 87 percent of students made improvements in at least three
technology areas.
Digital media and technology projects should create opportunities to empower middle school
youth by providing an outlet for self-expression and a platform to assert their voices within the
local and global community.
5
For more information, visit afterschoolaliance.org
1616 H Street NW, Suite 820, Washington, D.C. 20006 • 1440 Broadway, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10018
TEL: 202.347.2030 FAX: 202.347.2092 • afterschoolalliance.org • CFC # 31020
Green Energy Technologies in the City (GET City) in East Lansing, MI, is a year-round
program focused on youth development in STEM and information technologies (IT). The
program was founded in 2006 through a partnership between Michigan State University and the
Boys & Girls Club of Lansing. GET City seeks to develop middle school youth into STEM
experts who use cyber-tools to take on scientific problems of local and global relevance. Cybertoolkits include digital public service announcements, podcasts and other multi-media artifacts
that contain youth-authored messages intended to educate their peers and communities about
energy issues.
Youth develop STEM expertise through authentic investigations of green energy challenges that
are locally relevant and globally significant. They put their knowledge to work through youthled community workshops, social media outreach and creating content for the project website. In
recent years, their multimedia artifacts have won statewide recognition and been featured on
Detroit Public Television and Lansing’s WLNS television and in Ann Arbor’s Michigan Historic
Theater. They use their materials to provide workshops for student groups, churches and
community centers, and to document the community impact of energy policy for local
government.
In addition to GET City youth successfully securing internships with engineering labs and
scholarships to university-based summer engineering programs, an external evaluation conducted
by the Brown Education Alliance revealed that participation in the program significantly
increased technology skills and impacted students’ aspirations and expectations. Youth are
positioned as STEM experts and culturally-relevant teachers, helping them feel more empowered
by their subject expertise and the knowledge that they have a voice that matters, not only within
the program, but in school settings and in the community as well.
Digital media and technology projects should be supported by explicit goals, while allowing
for flexible implementation.
YTECH Civic Voice Curriculum Programs in Seattle, WA, is based on a digital media and
civics education model that enhances students’ digital literacies, communication and leadership
skills while also developing their sense of belonging and investment in their communities. The
middle school program, Becoming Citizens, provides youth in low-income, urban communities
with the opportunity to experiment and create digital projects with tools that are often banned in
schools—such as YouTube and Facebook—but are key to the students’ personal lives.
The curriculum is flexible enough to be applied to activities that enhance the skills of students
ranging in ages from 6 to 21, and used in programs ranging in length from 2 to 160 hours. All
programs teach a core set of units with the explicit goal of developing digital literacy and
creating long-term investment in civic engagement. YTECH youth review news articles, blogs
and online videos created by both adults and peers, and they are led through the informationseeking and evaluation process to develop the skills needed to effectively navigate our
information-saturated world. Youth are also challenged to interact in participatory online
environments by synthesizing the information collected from the evaluation process with their
own personal stories. A post-program online survey found that 80 percent of students agreed
that the program led them to volunteer or participate in activities that helped solve problems or
make the community a better place, 70 percent reported more confidence in their leadership
6
For more information, visit afterschoolaliance.org
1616 H Street NW, Suite 820, Washington, D.C. 20006 • 1440 Broadway, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10018
TEL: 202.347.2030 FAX: 202.347.2092 • afterschoolalliance.org • CFC # 31020
skills after participating in the program and 80 percent reported an increased understanding of
technology after taking part in the Becoming Citizens program.
Conclusion
At the core of effective digital media and learning is the principle that instructional strategies
should be personalized and flexible and that technology is a tool that supports effective teaching
and learning practices. There is no one formula for success, but rather a multitude of ways that
technology can be effectively applied to support the academic, social and emotional needs of
middle school youth. Digital learning does not require educators to be experts on technology,
but rather enables them to be facilitators in an environment where youth are encouraged to
explore and find the answers on their own.
Learner-centered strategies need staff who are invested in both the children and the program, and
these strategies are most effective when educators are passionate, supportive and willing to
experiment with new technology and new ways of teaching. The lower-stakes environment and
higher degree of instructional freedom within afterschool settings allows these programs to more
easily develop and test innovative models of technology-enabled learning. xvi These elements of
effective digital learning, along with the fact that afterschool programs already excel at providing
interest-driven learning opportunities, contribute to afterschool being an ideal setting for digital
learning and an excellent partner to schools.
i
Digital Learning Now! Roadmap for Reform. Retrieved from
http://digitallearningnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Roadmap-for-Reform-.pdf.
ii
Alliance for Excellent Education. (2012). Culture Shift: Teaching in a Learner-Centered Environment Powered by
Digital Learning. Retrieved from
http://www.all4ed.org/files/CultureShift.pdf.
iii
Herr-Stephenson, B., et. al. (2011). Digital Media and Technology in Afterschool Programs, Libraries and
Museums. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. Retrieved from
http://mitpress.mit.edu/sites/default/files/titles/free_download/9780262515764_Digital_Media_and_Technology
_in_Afterschool_Programs.pdf.
iv
Afterschool Alliance. (2012). Uncertain Times 2012: Afterschool Programs Still Struggling in Today’s Economy.
Retrieved from http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/documents/Uncertain_Times/Uncertain-Times-2012.pdf
v
Hive Chicago. Retrieved from http://www.hivechicago.org/learning-networks.
vi
Trotter, A. (2001). “Closing the digital divide.” Education Week, 20(35), 37-40. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/202703749?accountid=11243. Kennedy, J. (2007). “African-Americans
facing 'digital dimmer switch' in internet usage.” New Pittsburgh Courier. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/368244083?accountid=11243.
vii
Phillips, Meredith St Chin, Tiffani. (2004). “School Inequality: What Do We Know?” In K. M. Neckerman (Ed.),
Social Inequality. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation. 467-519.
viii
2
Rideout, V.J., et. al. (2010). Generation M : Media in the Lives of 8- to 18- Year-Olds. The Henry J. Kaiser Family
Foundation. Menlo Park, CA. Retrieved from http://www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/8010.pdf.
ix
Fokkena, L. (2011). “Moving beyond access: Class, race, gender, and technological literacy in afterschool
programming.” Radical Teacher, (90), 25-34,79. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/869179108?accountid=11243.
x
Jenkins, H, et. al. (2009). Confronting the challenges of participatory culture: media education for the 21st
century. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Reports on Digital Media and Learning. Retrieved
7
For more information, visit afterschoolaliance.org
1616 H Street NW, Suite 820, Washington, D.C. 20006 • 1440 Broadway, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10018
TEL: 202.347.2030 FAX: 202.347.2092 • afterschoolalliance.org • CFC # 31020
from http://digitallearning.macfound.org/atf/cf/%7B7E45C7E0-A3E0-4B89-AC9CE807E1B0AE4E%7D/JENKINS_WHITE_PAPER.PDF.
xi
Lenhart, A. and Madden, M. (2005). Teen Content Creators and Consumers. Pew Internet & American Life
Project. Washington, D.C. Retrieved from
http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2005/PIP_Teens_Content_Creation.pdf.pdf.
xii
Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. (2011). 2011 Teen/Parent Survey. Retrieved from
http://www.pewinternet.org/Shared-Content/Data-Sets/2011/July-2011-Teens-and-Online-Behavior.aspx.
xiii
th
Purcell, K. (2012). Teens 2012: Truth, Trends and Myths. Presentation at the 27 Annual ACT Enrollment
Planners Conference. Chicago, IL. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/Presentations/2012/July/Teens2012-Truth-Trends-and-Myths-About-Teen-Online-Behavior.aspx.
xiv
Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. (2009). 2009 Parent-Teen Cell Phone Survey. Retrieved
from http://www.pewinternet.org/Shared-Content/Data-Sets/2009/September-2009-Teens-and-Mobile.aspx.
xv
Ito, M., et. al. (2012). Connected Learning: an agenda for research and design. The Digital Media and Learning
Research Hub. Irvine, CA. Retrieved from http://dmlhub.net/sites/default/files/ConnectedLearning_report.pdf
xvi
The After-School Corporation. (2012). Where the Kids Are: Digital Learning In Class and Beyond. Retrieved from
http://www.expandedschools.org/sites/default/files/digital_learning_beyond_class.pdf.
8
For more information, visit afterschoolaliance.org
1616 H Street NW, Suite 820, Washington, D.C. 20006 • 1440 Broadway, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10018
TEL: 202.347.2030 FAX: 202.347.2092 • afterschoolalliance.org • CFC # 31020